What I LOVE about living in Spain
Explore the magic of living in Spain through the eyes of a resident! From sunshine-filled days to mouthwatering cuisine and vibrant festivals, discover the top ten reasons why Spain is an enchanting place to call home.
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Check out my video on “What I LOVE about living in Spain” for a firsthand glimpse into this enchanting land.Sunshine All Year Round:Outdoor Oasis:Gastronomic DelightsHealthcare Haven:Education for All:Festive Spirit:Breathtaking Landscapes:European AdventureCommunity Connection:Endless Charm:¡Hola! I’m Lucía, and if you’re curious about what makes Spain so special, you’re in the right place. As a resident and enthusiast, I’m excited to share the top ten things I absolutely adore about living in this vibrant country.
Check out my video on “What I LOVE about living in Spain” for a firsthand glimpse into this enchanting land.
Sunshine All Year Round:
Many parts of Spain enjoy abundant sunshine, although the climate varies considerably by region.
Outdoor Oasis:
With charming terraces at every corner, Spain invites you to savor life alfresco. Coffee, tapas, and endless laughter under the sun – what’s not to love?
Gastronomic Delights
From paella to churros, Spain’s culinary scene is a feast for the senses. Dive into a world of flavors and savor every mouthwatering bite.
Healthcare Haven:
Spain has a broad public healthcare system. Access and costs depend on eligibility, residency status, and individual circumstances.
Education for All:
Public compulsory schooling generally has no tuition, although families may still face costs and access or support can vary.
Festive Spirit:
Get ready to dance, laugh, and celebrate! Spain’s lively festivals paint the streets with joy, each one a testament to our rich culture and traditions.
Breathtaking Landscapes:
From golden beaches to majestic mountains, Spain’s diverse landscapes will leave you in awe. Explore every corner and discover nature’s wonders.
European Adventure
Spain is well connected to the rest of Europe. Travel within the Schengen area is often convenient, but entry and stay rules depend on your passport and residency status.
Community Connection:
I have often found a strong sense of community here, although experiences naturally vary by place and person.
Endless Charm:
Last but not least, Spain’s undeniable charm steals hearts with every twist and turn. From bustling cities to quaint villages, there’s magic in every moment.
Living in Spain is a dream come true, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Want to experience the magic for yourself?
Edited English reading companion
This is an edited reading companion to Lucía’s English-language video, including its Spanish food and festival names. It follows the complete substantive narration, with punctuation and minor English grammar cleaned up. Her experiences, humor and recommendations remain her own. The labelled accuracy notes are editorial updates, separate from her words; they clarify broad claims and information that has changed since the recording. This is an English transcript companion, not a Spanish transcript or a translation of speech that was not present.
- 0:00 — Introduction
- 0:16 — Sunshine and regional weather
- 0:52 — Life outdoors
- 1:16 — Food, olive oil and desserts
- 2:12 — A drink and a tapa
- 2:30 — Public healthcare
- 3:04 — Education and the free study guide
- 3:42 — Paid holidays
- 4:02 — Festivals
- 5:31 — Landscapes, islands and beach holidays
- 6:33 — Travelling around Europe
- 7:11 — The people and the closing message
0:00 — Introduction
¡Hola! I’m Lucía. I live in Spain, and these are ten things I love about living here. I’ve also lived in other countries, so these are things I miss a lot when I’m abroad. I think you’ll love them too, so check it out!
0:16 — Sunshine and regional weather
The first thing I love about Spain is the weather. I live in the south, in Sevilla, in Andalucía. I put it at around 300 sunny days a year in this region—of course, it depends on the year! We receive a lot of sunlight, and that puts you in a really good mood. It is also very warm, and very hot in summer.
In Madrid, they don’t have quite as many sunny days, but it’s close. If you go north, especially to Galicia, the weather is humid and cloudy, with lots of rain. I love the weather in the centre and south. I need my dose of sun every day.
Reading note: These are Lucía’s impressions of the places she describes. The approximate sunshine figure is her estimate, not a guarantee of 300 sunny days throughout Andalucía; Spain’s climate varies by location and season.
0:52 — Life outdoors
That leads me to the second thing I love: lots of outdoor life. Thanks to the good weather, we have a very broad social life outdoors. Most restaurants and cafés have terraces, so you can have your coffee or food outside. I really enjoy that. Being outside with friends gives you a lot of good energy. I find the prices of beer, coffee and tapas very cheap compared with other countries, so that’s a plus.
1:16 — Food, olive oil and desserts
Talking about food, the food in Spain is great. There are lots of traditional dishes that I find very healthy and super yummy: paella, tortilla de patatas, pescaíto frito, calamares, puntillitas, huevos rotos, puchero, croquetas, fabada, huevos a la bechamel, pisto, migas, gazpacho, jamón, patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo and more. So many delicious foods!
It is great because there is so much variety. Here we also usually cook with extra virgin olive oil, which I call “the healthiest one” in the video.
Accuracy note — Olive oil and a healthy diet: Olive oil is one of the unsaturated oils WHO recommends in preference to saturated fats. That does not establish it as the uniquely healthiest oil, or mean that every traditional dish is automatically healthy; ingredients, preparation and the overall diet matter. Sources: WHO: healthy diet.
Desserts and pastries are great too: tarta de la abuela, tarta de Santiago, natillas, tocino de cielo, arroz con leche, crema catalana, torrijas, pestiños, ensaimada, palmera de chocolate… and my favorite snack, churros!
2:12 — A drink and a tapa
Another thing I love is that, in some bars, when you order a drink—a beer, a Coke or whatever—they give you a free tapa. In my experience, this is getting less common. They will usually give you olives, at least, and in some places they give you a big tapa. In big cities, I’ve seen this custom disappearing. Sad!
2:30 — Public healthcare
Something great about Spain is the public healthcare system. Compared with other countries, it is one of our treasures. I miss it a lot when I’m not in Spain. I describe it as one of the best in the world, then joke: “If this is the best, what the heck do they do in other countries?”
In the video, I say public healthcare is available to all residents for free, that the quality and level of service are wonderful, and that the ER is free for everybody in an emergency. Of course, it isn’t actually free: people working in Spain help pay for it through taxes, which I think are high. What I value is people being admitted and receiving care.
Accuracy note — Access and payment are different questions: Spain has a broad publicly funded healthcare system, but receiving treatment is not an automatic promise of free coverage for every resident or visitor. Eligibility, residence, other health coverage and any third party responsible for payment matter. The 2026 procedure for people without legal residence also has conditions and documentation requirements; care may be billed if those requirements were not met. Lucía’s enthusiasm is a personal assessment, not an independently established international ranking. Sources: Health-system law, articles 3 and 3 ter, Ministry of Health: public healthcare access.
3:04 — Education and the free study guide
Another free thing I appreciate is education. In the video, I describe schools and high schools as free and mandatory. In some regions, I say that even university and master’s degrees can be free if you pass your subjects. There is also financial aid for students.
Accuracy note — Schooling and university tuition: Basic education is compulsory and free, normally from ages 6 to 16; post-compulsory stages such as Bachillerato are not mandatory. Public tuition-free schooling does not mean every family has no other education costs. University and master’s degrees are not unconditionally free: for example, Andalucía’s scheme discounts 99% of eligible tuition-credit costs based on credits passed at the first attempt in previous study, with specific rules for degree and master’s courses. A new undergraduate’s first year is not automatically covered by that discount. Sources: Education law, articles 3–4, Junta de Andalucía: tuition-discount guide.
You may not be aware of this when you attend school because you’re young and don’t know much about wages or paying for things. Later, you become aware of all that and see it as such a nice feature of the Spanish system. Similar arrangements are common in other European countries too.
By the way, My Daily Spanish has a free study guide with a step-by-step process to help you learn Spanish faster. You can download it using the link in the video description.
3:42 — Paid holidays
Thing I love about Spain number seven: holidays. Holy days! In the video, I say workers have a minimum of 30 days of paid holiday a year, plus 14 national holidays. They should add even more! I know of countries with far fewer holidays, and that’s sad. We like holidays.
Accuracy note — Calendar days and the holiday calendar: For employees covered by Spain’s Workers’ Statute, the minimum annual paid vacation is 30 calendar days, not 30 working days. The statutory public-holiday calendar has up to 14 paid, non-recoverable holidays, including national, regional and two local holidays—not 14 national holidays. The applicable calendar therefore depends on the location. Sources: Workers’ Statute, articles 37–38.
4:02 — Festivals
The next thing I love is the fiestas, the festivities related to holidays. We have lots of traditional celebrations. Each region has its own things, and the variety is very cool to experience.
In Sevilla, we have the Feria de Abril, the Seville April Fair. It is like a festive city built on a fairground, with lots of tents serving as bars. People wear flamenco dresses and dance, drink and eat. It feels like everyone is there! You have a great time with family and friends and meet your acquaintances. There is also an amusement park, lots of ice cream and candy, and very traditional, unique decoration. You have to go at least once in your life.
Many cities and towns in Andalucía have their own fairs at different times of year. If you organize yourself, you might go to a different feria each week. In Madrid, there is San Isidro. In Valencia, there is Las Fallas, with fire and fireworks. In Barcelona, there is Sant Jordi, when you give a rose and a book to someone you love.
Then there is el Carnaval de Cádiz, with its important traditional carnival song contest. In the video, I call these songs “chirigotas”.
Accuracy note — Chirigotas: A chirigota is a type of carnival singing group and a competition category, known for humorous performances. Cádiz’s contest also includes coros, comparsas and cuartetos; not every song or performance in the contest is a chirigota. Sources: Cádiz City Council: carnival groups.
There is also el Carnaval de Tenerife, La Tomatina in Valencia, and many more. Each town organizes activities throughout the year, so it’s nice to know the schedule and join the ones that catch your eye.
Accuracy note — La Tomatina’s location: Here “Valencia” refers to the province: La Tomatina takes place in Buñol, rather than Valencia city. Sources: Official Comunitat Valenciana tourism: La Tomatina.
5:31 — Landscapes, islands and beach holidays
Another thing I love is all the beautiful places in Spain. This applies to other countries too: every country has its own character, and I think you can find beautiful landscapes anywhere. In Spain, there is a lot of diversity. I love our long coastline and all the beaches. The islands are beautiful: Mallorca, Menorca, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote.
If you like mountains, we have those too. There are also very pretty towns that make you feel as if you’re inside a fairy tale. Spain is a nice country for a road trip because every city is different, and the south and north are very different. You can have a varied trip while getting to know the country.
One thing I miss a lot when I’m abroad is the Spanish beaches. There are so many, and going to the beach in summer was an important part of my childhood. Families would go for a few weeks, staying in an apartment near the beach, renting one for the whole family, or going camping. That is so much fun.
6:33 — Travelling around Europe
The last thing on my list: Spain is in the European Union. I find it very easy and cheap to travel between European countries. In the video, I describe Schengen as 27 countries with no borders between them, having abolished passports and many other border controls. That makes travelling by car appealing too.
Accuracy note — Schengen update and travel documents: As of this review, the Schengen area has 29 countries; Bulgaria and Romania became fully part of it on 1 January 2025. National borders still exist. Routine checks at internal borders are normally absent, but temporary checks can be introduced, and valid travel documents and applicable entry and stay conditions still matter. Passports have not been abolished: EU citizens travel with a valid passport or national identity card; requirements for other travelers depend on their status. Sources: Council of the EU: Schengen area, Your Europe: travel documents for EU nationals.
Distances by plane are short, and there are cheap European airlines that can make travelling easy. I go to Portugal by car every year because it isn’t far from where I live, and it is fun. I like going to the supermarket to buy things that are different from what I usually buy—different soda flavors and things like that.
7:11 — The people and the closing message
To finish, I miss a lot of things about Spain when I’m abroad, especially the weather, outdoor activities and food. What I miss most, though, is the people: the way they socialize, their sense of humor—we make lots of jokes—and their closeness. We hug a lot!
I think people become friends faster in Spain, in my experience. It feels as if the barrier between people is thinner here. Every country has its own character and its pros and cons. I’ll tell you what I hate about Spain in another video. I’m sure that if you come to Spain, people will be welcoming and you’ll have a great time. Please give the video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it. ¡Adiós!
